I whipped this baby up one morning when I was craving a creamy, warm, savory soup for breakfast. (A practice I highly endorse).

What I love about this recipe is that you can use it as a baseline to spin any vegetable into soup. All you really need are a few aromatics (garlic, onions, ginger), some chopped veggies (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, potato, parsnip, rutabaga, sweet potato, beets), a bit of liquid (broth, coconut milk, water), and then, if you're feeling really crazy, whichever herbs or spices best highlight what you're craving (curry powder or paste, lemongrass, turmeric, cilantro, herbs de provence). You don't even need the spices to make something delicious though. This is as simple as it gets.

Soups are nutritional powerhouses — a masterful way to load your belly with a variety of vegetables, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. They last a week in the fridge, work wonderfully frozen in jars for toting to the office, can be ladled over rice or noodles for something heartier, and in their most basic form, like the recipe below, offer a boost of immunity and liquid nourishment to warm the bones.

Simple Carrot Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

7 medium-large carrots, chopped

1 red onion, diced (white or yellow also work)

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

2-inch knob of ginger, minced

1 heaping teaspoon of turmeric

1 can full-fat coconut milk

Salt and pepper

Directions:

— In a soup pot, saute the diced onion in a tablespoon of coconut cream (the creamy substance at the top of your can of coconut milk), over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes or until translucent.

— Add the turmeric, and minced garlic and ginger, saute for a minute or so until fragrant. Stir consistently to ensure it doesn't burn.

— Add chopped carrot, saute for 5 minutes to let the flavors meld. Add a half a teaspoon of salt, and a few churns of fresh-ground pepper.

— Pour in all the contents of the can of coconut milk, stir to combine, raise the heat, and bring to a gentle simmer (coconut milk can curdle at high heat, like in a rolling boil).

— Let simmer until the carrots are cooked through and tender, about 15-20 minutes. Once the carrots are cooked, either puree in the pot with an immersion blender, or in batches with a full-sized blender. If using a blender, fill it no more than halfway, and start it on low to let the steam escape, gradually building to high speed. Follow these helpful tips for pureeing hot soup without any explosions.

— Salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy warm. Perhaps topped with something special, like a dollop of coconut yogurt, toasted nuts and seeds, microgreens, some roasted tofu, or a drizzle of honey or chili oil. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.